Barcelona Slide Cuff
Extract from The Sparkle Factory • By Tarina Tarantino • Published by Running PressAbout
The Sparkle Factory
When I was living in Barcelona years ago, I fell in love with the sculptural design and archi- tecture of artist Antonio Gaudí. His kalei- doscopic use of color mixed with surrealism makes his work both bizarrely whimsical and strangely futuristic. In this project, the colorful swirls in the polymer clay and the crystals arranged in mosaic patterns are remi- niscent of Gaudí’s work.
Inspirations
This statement cuff is engineered like a vintage slide bracelet, but on a larger scale. The way the round beads roll between the slides make it uniquely comfortable for its size and scale.
- Alex Z. added Barcelona Slide Cuff to Интересное 12 May 18:22
- Key West Witch favorited Barcelona Slide Cuff 11 Sep 10:44
- lindsay t. favorited Barcelona Slide Cuff 29 Jun 11:52
- Carla B. favorited Barcelona Slide Cuff 26 Mar 04:50
- Sharolyn C. favorited Barcelona Slide Cuff 11 Dec 19:28
- Tristin C. favorited Barcelona Slide Cuff 08 Dec 00:28
- Ariane D. favorited Barcelona Slide Cuff 03 May 05:13
- NellyTimeBOMB favorited Barcelona Slide Cuff 02 Apr 17:12
- Tiffanezep K. favorited Barcelona Slide Cuff 08 Mar 18:56
- mmotse03 favorited Barcelona Slide Cuff 25 Feb 00:45
You Will Need
-
Step 1
I want to make my Gaudí-inspired slides match the beautiful howlite swirled beads in this bracelet. To achieve this, we need to swirl these four clay colors together. First, break off one segment per color (the Premo clay bars have four segments). Now roll the clay into balls about the size of a silver dollar. Then roll each into a long snake shape.
-
Step 7
Now it’s time to create the Gaudí-inspired bracelet slides. Roll each into a ball and shape. The shape of the slides should echo the shape of the stones you have chosen. Remember not to flatten the “slide” pieces too much. I like to leave them about 1⁄3" thick to allow for the larger crystals to be embedded. Gently press the crystals into the center of the slides and reshape the clay around them. This is the part that takes patience, but your pieces will look beautiful when they are done.
-
Step 11
Now the slides are ready for baking. Follow the in- structions on the package. It is safe to bake them with the stones. Once they have cooled after bak- ing, check to make sure all the stones are secure. I use an X-Acto knife and try to pop them out. If they come loose, I put a dab of glue in the seat and reset the stones to lock them into place.